‘Are we quorate?’ That is often the cry you hear at meetings, especially if someone is wanting to disrupt the meeting. Heads are counted, Constitutions checked. ‘Yes, we’re fine.’ The meeting resumes.
Today General Synod meets in the Chamber for one day only. Just a few people will be present, enough to make it quorate. A great deal of work has gone it to make it all Covid secure – all the usual masks and sanitiser – but also being allocated seats in the chamber. Normally we look out for our friends or at least someone we don’t mind spending time alongside as we walk through one of the doors and decide where to sit. This time we will have to discover who our distanced and allotted neighbour is – for Christians that is like being allocated a pew in church – scary!
So, what is the purpose of meeting under such circumstances in such a strange way? We are there to do one thing and one thing only; to pass a piece of legislation, the excitingly named ‘General Synod (Remote Meetings) (Temporary Standing Orders) Measure’. If it gets through all its stages today it will enable the Synod to meet remotely and to make legally binding decisions, remotely. When we had our Zoom Synod in July we could only talk and not decide. If we do our work today we will be able to meet, talk and decide remotely.
As ever we need your prayers. We only ever meet seeking the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit and whether the agenda is long or as short as this, the need is the same.
Holy Spirit, guide us and keep us as we seek to do the Father’s will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Andrew Nunn's reflections from General Synod 
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